महाभारत के अनुसार श्री कृष्ण के जाने के बाद द्वारका नगरी समुद्र में डूब गई। गुजरात के तट के पास समुद्र में पत्थर की संरचनाएँ और लंगर मिले हैं, जिन पर आज भी शोध और बहस जारी है।
On the westernmost tip of Gujarat stands the Dwarkadhish temple, its flag flying high over the Gomti river and the Arabian Sea. This is the land of Shri Krishna's kingdom — and of one of India's great mysteries.
Krishna's golden city
According to the Mahabharata and the Puranas, after leaving Mathura, Shri Krishna asked Vishwakarma to build a magnificent city on land reclaimed from the sea. This was Dwarka — "the gateway" — with palaces of gold and gardens, ruled by the Yadavas.
The day the sea returned
The Mausala Parva of the Mahabharata describes how, after Krishna left the world, the ocean rose and swallowed Dwarka. Arjuna, who had come to take the people away, watched as the sea flooded the city behind them.
What divers found
In the 1980s and later, marine archaeologists led by Dr S.R. Rao of the National Institute of Oceanography explored the sea off Dwarka and Bet Dwarka. They reported stone walls, structures and many stone anchors on the sea bed, along with pottery on land. These finds have made Dwarka one of the most studied underwater sites in India.
The underwater ruins are definitely the Dwarka of Shri Krishna, thousands of years old.
Structures and anchors have been found off the coast, but their age and identity are still debated by archaeologists. Sea levels on this coast have changed over thousands of years, and research continues.
The five flags of Dwarkadhish
The Dwarkadhish temple flag — a long, triangular dhwaja with the sun and moon on it — is changed five times every day. Families book the honour of offering a flag, often years in advance, and bring it to the temple with music and dancing.
Bet Dwarka
A short ferry ride from Okha, the island of Bet Dwarka is believed to be where Krishna lived with his family, and where his childhood friend Sudama came to meet him with a small bundle of rice. The Sudarshan Setu bridge, opened in 2024, now connects it to the mainland.
- Location
- Dwarka, Devbhumi Dwarka district, Gujarat
- Darshan
- Mangla aarti early morning; flag ceremonies through the day
- Nearby
- Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, Bet Dwarka, Rukmini temple
- Plan it
- Our Dwarka–Somnath yatra
Questions
Did Dwarka really sink?
The Mahabharata says so. Underwater structures and anchors found off the coast are real, but their age and identity are still debated.
How many times is the Dwarkadhish flag changed?
Five times every day.
How do I reach Bet Dwarka?
Via Okha — by ferry or across the Sudarshan Setu bridge.
